The relationship between the Guard and the Pentagon is complicated. The Guard is vital to the missions performed, but have their own chain of command,
and fall under a different command than the Pentagon under normal circumstances. There are things they can, and should do, but it's not as simple as
just saying "fix this".

This reminds me of a job I had long ago. My pay was direct deposit. 4 weeks after my first pay the company told me they put the wrong pay into my bank
account and I had to repay $89.00 or I will be fired.

The company threatened to sue me. I ended up thinking karma kills, so I paid back the $89.00.

I quit my job the next day. The bad taste in my mouth made me never want to go back.

Before you sign any legal document best you read the terms and conditions...Always.

If you cant meet your reenlistment conditions the military will take the money back, this is the case for a few of the soldiers, the bonus was tied to
an MOS and some switched which would void the contract. Most seem to be forced to repay because of the fraud that they didn't commit and the Guard is
forced to collect the debt due to a law, according to the article though the law was not specified.

It is a # show that could be fixed if the Generals stepped in and made the "Hard" decisions. But what General wants "lost $15 Million of Guard
Budget due to Fraud" on their OPR.

The California National Guard told state members of Congress two years ago about this, and they did nothing. Now it's coming out that other states did
the same thing, but California is the only one that has audited the bonus program.

Look into the issue of Armed Forces Members who aren't being given their G.I. Bill college money, we pay into it but you can't get it out as easily if
at all.

Not to mention this whole new POST 9/11 clauses, basically they've given a good bit of new benefits and such for Veterans, only if you served after
9/11 though.

Been honorably discharged since 2001 ( may ) and haven't gotten my G.I. Bill, or any help at all really. I just simply don't qualify for much because
I was in the service before 9/11 but after 2000 bumping me out of a few other things I could of tried.

The saying in the Air Force was true and has remained true " We bone our own ".

Error in Soldier's favor may see results in a few months after dozens of trips to finance and letters to the commander.

It is #ty but its the way of the military.

It sure is. They take the money right out of your account and 3 days later you get a letter telling they are doing it.

In this case the real problem is the up front payments. Normally you need to meet your part of the agreement then get your bonus or at least most of
it. Like with the radio man, he was given a bonus to be a radio man for x amount of years, he then changed jobs before that time was up and now has
to pay it back when he really never should have gotten most of it until he has met his part of the agreement.

What would be ideal is if somebody could just say never mind we have it covered. When it comes to pay their does not seem to a mechanism or a person
who can by law do that. I once has a pay problem for months and it was only resolved when I brought in the CINCs from two Unified Commands to raise
some hell. When it takes two 4 star Generals to get a pay problem solved you know the system is screwed up.

“We want ... the chain of command to work with these individuals who are affected by them to help walk them through the process to seek some sort of
waiver,” Davis said Monday. For now, attorneys say the Pentagon only has the authority to waive debts for individual service members. “There is
not currently the authority to wave these things writ large,” Davis said. “It might require working with Congress to be able to change
authorities.” Congress is scheduled to return to Capitol Hill on Nov. 14

I was in the Navy from 82-88. We didn't have a GI Bill. We had VEAP. You had to pay into VEAP and the Government would match 2 dollars for every
dollar you paid in. Then they ended VEAP, not only did you not get the matching money, they kept the money that you paid in.

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